A lot of Ubisoft's recent games, aside from titles such as Splinter Cell or Rayman, continue to expand their worlds and introduce multiplayer options.
Ubisoft feels that open world games feel much more alive when populated by living people. Julian Gerighty, the creative director for open world racer The Crew, spoke about open worlds and the importance of an online connection. "It's one of those things where the online aspect, the seamless aspect, the living, breathing world aspect, that is provided by the online adds so much to the experience that it's a shame to be able to say, 'OK, you can play the game, but you can't have that part of it.'
While games like The Crew will feature always online capabilities, Gerighty thinks that with the always online internet connection and big open worlds, that it "brings something that's alive and extremely varied."
With Watch Dogs, players must always watch out for the threat of other hacking players. Some of these ideas only prove possible with an internet connection. "So having a connected experience is very important, this is something that next-gen consoles are pushing," Ashraf Ismail said – game director for Assassin's Creed.
Assassin's Creed won't use always online in the same way Watch Dogs will, but creating a lively open world still remains a goal that the developers at Ubisoft try to achieve.
The Xbox One abandoned the internet connection requirement because of player backlash. While many people viewed it as an inconvenience and hindrance, Ubisoft thinks that internet connections and open worlds, will allow a future of seamless transitions from single player to multiplayer games.
The Division, a game that features that same seamless transition, will launch late next year.
Source: Polygon
